How to Join a Zoom Meeting Without the App
Join a Zoom meeting from Chrome or Edge instead of installing the desktop app, find the hidden browser link, and know which features you give up.
You have a Zoom link but cannot or do not want to install the app, for example on a work computer that blocks downloads. Zoom runs in a web browser with most of the features that matter for attending.
Open the meeting link in Chrome or Edge
Click the link in the invitation, or paste it into the address bar. Chrome and Edge give the best results. Firefox and Safari work but may lack some audio and video features.
Dismiss the download prompt
The page tries to open the Zoom app and, if it is not installed, offers a download. Ignore both. If the browser shows an "Open Zoom Workplace?" dialog, click Cancel. If a Zoom installer starts downloading, close it without running it.
Click Join from Your Browser
Look below the download button for a line reading "Having issues with Zoom Workplace? Join from Your Browser" or similar wording. Click the link. It sometimes appears only after the download prompt has been dismissed, or after a few seconds, so wait briefly if you do not see it. If it still does not appear, click Launch Meeting once and then look again.
Enter your name and the passcode
Type the name you want other participants to see. If the meeting has a passcode that was not embedded in the link, type it from the invitation. Complete the captcha if one appears. You may be asked to sign in to a Zoom account; a free account works if the host requires it.
Allow the browser to use your microphone and camera
Click Join Audio by Computer when prompted. The browser asks for permission to use your microphone and camera; click Allow. If you decline, you can still watch and listen but cannot be heard. Use the toolbar at the bottom of the page to mute, start video, chat, and react, just as in the app.
If the browser link is missing. The host controls whether the Join from your browser link is shown. It is on by default, but some organizations turn it off. Ask the host to enable Show a "Join from your browser" link in their zoom.us account settings, or to send you a dial-in phone number from the invitation instead.
What you give up. Browser join lacks some virtual backgrounds, self-selecting breakout rooms, and a few sharing options, and it uses more of the computer's resources than the app. On a phone or tablet, the browser option does not exist; the mobile app is required.